1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to synthesis of hydrocarbons from a methane source. A particular application of this invention is a method for converting natural gas to more readily transportable material.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A major source of methane is natural gas. Other sources of methane have been considered for fuel supply, e.g., the methane present in coal deposits or formed during mining operations. Relatively small amounts of methane are also produced in various petroleum processes.
The composition of natural gas at the wellhead varies but the major hydrocarbon present is methane. For example the methane content of natural gas may vary within the range of about 40 to 95 vol. %. Other constituents of natural gas may include ethane, propane, butanes, pentane (and heavier hydrocarbons), hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, helium and nitrogen.
Natural gas is classified as dry or wet depending upon the amount of condensable hydrocarbons contained in it. Condensable hydrocarbons generally comprise C.sub.3 + hydrocarbons although some ethane may be included. Gas conditioning is required to alter the composition of wellhead gas, processing facilities usually being located in or near the production fields. Conventional processing of wellhead natural gas yields processed natural gas containing at least a major amount of methane.
Large-scale use of natural gas often requires a sophisticated and extensive pipeline system. Liquefaction has also been employed as a transportation means, but processes for liquefying, transporting, and revaporizing natural gas are complex, energy-intensive, and require extensive safety precautions. Transport of natural gas has been a continuing problem in the exploitation of natural gas resources. It would be extremely valuable to be able to convert methane (e.g., natural gas) to more easily handleable, or transportable, products. Moreover, direct conversion to olefins such as ethylene or propylene would be extremely valuable to the chemical industry.
In addition to its use as fuel, methane is used for the production of halogenated products (e.g., methyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride). Methane has also been used as a feedstock for producing acetylene by electric-arc or partial-oxidation processes. Electric-arc processes are operated commercially in Europe. In partial-oxidation processes, a feed mixture of oxygen and methane (the methane may contain other, additional hydrocarbons) are preheated to about 540.degree. C. and ignited in a burner. Representative processes of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,679,544; 3,234,300; and 3,244,765. Partial oxidation produces significant quantities of CO, CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2, yielding a dilute acetylene-containing gas and thereby making acetylene recovery difficult.
The largest, non-fuel use of methane is in the production of ammonia and methanol (and formaldehyde). The first, methane conversion, step of these processes is the production of a synthesis gas (CO+H.sub.2) by reforming of methane in the presence of steam over, for example, a nickel catalyst. Typical reformers are tubular furnaces heated with natural gas, the temperature being maintained at 900.degree. C. and the pressure at about 225 atmospheres.
Pyrolytic or dehydrogenative conversion of methane or natural gas to C.sub.2 + hydrocarbons has previously been proposed. The conversion requires high temperatures (greater than about 1000.degree. C.) and is characterized by the formation of by-product hydrogen. The patent literature contains a number of proposals to catalyze pyrolytic reactions, allowing conversion at lower temperatures. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,656,813; 1,687,890; 1,851,726; 1,863,212; 1,922,918; 1,945,960; 1,958,648; 1,986,238 and 1,988,873. U.S. Pat. No. 2,436,595 discloses and claims a catalytic, dehydrogenative methane-conversion process which employs fluidized beds of heterogeneous catalysts comprising an oxide or other compound of the metals of group VI or VIII.
Including oxygen in a methane feed for conversion over metal oxide catalysts has been proposed. Margolis, L. Ya., Adv. Catal. 14, 429 (1963) and Andtushkevich, T. V., et al, Kinet. Katal. 6, 860 (1965) studied oxygen/methane cofeed over different metal oxides. They report the formation of methanol, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from methane/oxygen feeds. Higher hydrocarbons are either not formed or are converted much faster than methane.